whakataka

Maori

Etymology

whaka- +‎ taka

Verb

whakataka

1. to drop, toss off, cause to fall, throw down, depose, overthrow, abdicate

   Nō te hokinga ki Ingarangi ka kite ia i te hē; kua aro atu te whakaaro o tōna teina, o Hoani, ki a Piripi o Parani kia whakataka i a Rīhari ki raro.

   When he returned to England he saw the problem; his younger brother, John, had joined with Philip of France to depose Richard.

2. to prepare

   I tukuna atu te waiata nei e Te Rauparaha ki a Te Āti Awa, i a ia e whakataka ana ki te pakanga.

   Te Rauparaha sent this song to Te Āti Awa when he was preparing for battle.

3. to muster, assemble, gather

   Ka whakatakaia mai te taua a Waikato hei patu i te rangatira o Ngāti Ruanui.

   Waikato assembled an army to kill the chief of Ngāti Ruanui.

4. to turn, deviate, divert

   Whakataka tō hau ki te tonga kia mākinakina i uta, kia mātaratara i tai.

   Divert your wind to the south so that it is intensely cold inland and piercingly cold at sea.

5. to take a circuitous route

   E haere ana rātou, inamata e whakataka ana te ara konihi a Te Puhi-huia rātou ko ngā hoa.

   They are going, but immediately Te Puhi-huia and her companions take a circuitous route along a path avoiding observation.

6. surround, encircle

   Kātahi te hokowhitu rā ka whakataka i taua whare.

   Then that war-party surrounded the house.

Modifier

whakataka

1. preparatory

   • He mea kura anō hoki a Tiaki ki tētahi kura whakataka, kura tūmataiti tae noa ki te wā i tekau mā whā tōna pakeke.

     Tiaki was educated at a private preparatory school until he was 14.

Noun

whakataka

1. preparation

   He nui te whakataka a ngā Hāmoa mō te rā e tae atu ai a Smythe.

   There was much preparation by the Samoans for the day that Smythe would arrive.

2. assembly, muster, gathering, expedition

   Kua kōrerotia i te whakaupoko te whakataka a Te Kakatarau.

   The raising of a war-party by Te Kakatarau is mentioned in the headnote.

3. director, chief, administrator, controller, leader

   Ko wai hei whakataka mō tātou ka mate ana ngā rangatira o nāianei?

   Who will be a leader for us when today's chiefs die?

4. whakataka, Corokia macrocarpa (a shrub or tree to 6 m tall with stout branches and dark, rough bark. Leaves are leathery and shiny on top with white tomentum underneath. Petals are bright yellow and drupes yellow, dark red to black.)